Maple Stout Bread with Poached Pears

from Cooking Light, December, 2013 

For more flavor in the pears, you can add cinnamon sticks or star anise to the poaching liquid.

Hands-on: 25 min. Total: 1 hr. 45 min.

Ingredients

4 cups water
2 cups granulated sugar
3 small whole Bosc pears (unpeeled)
1-1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
7.88 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 3/4 cups)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup stout beer (such as Guinness)
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/4 cup maple syrup
Baking spray with flour (such as Pam)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Bring 4 cups water and granulated sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add pears; reduce heat to medium,
 and cook at a medium-low boil for 5 minutes or just until pears start to soften. Remove pears from pan; cool slightly. 
Trim bottom off each pear so that it is about the height of a 9 x 5–inch loaf pan. Lightly brush 11/2 teaspoons flour 
over bottom 2/3 of each pear.

3. Weigh or lightly spoon 7.88 ounces (about 1 3/4 cups) flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 
flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, stirring well with a whisk. Place butter and brown sugar in a large bowl; 
beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in 
vanilla. Combine beer, sour cream, and syrup, stirring well with a whisk. Beating at low speed, add flour mixture and 
beer mixture alternately to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat just until combined.

4. Scrape batter into a 9 x 5-inch metal loaf pan coated with baking spray. Arrange pears in pan, pressing into batter. 
Bake at 350° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. 
Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove from pan; cool completely on wire rack.

SERVES 14 (serving size: 1 slice)

CALORIES 198; 
FAT 5.7g (sat 3.3g, mono 1.6g, poly 0.4g); 
PROTEIN 3g; 
CARB 34.1g; 
FIBER 1.4g; 
CHOL 40mg; 
IRON 1mg; 
SODIUM 254mg; 
CALC 37mg